MEET OUR STAFF
Rick Whittier Lead Pastor
Pastor Rick has been at Arlington since 1998 and has been on staff since 2001. He is a graduate of Southern Evangelical Seminary. Rick lives in Mint Hill with his wife Tina and their three boys, Zachary, Noah and Jackson. In his free time he enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking.
Mike Williams Youth & College Pastor
Pastor Mike grew up in Central New York, and after many years when he pretended to be a Christian, God called Mike to salvation through faith in Christ through the faithful reaching out of a friend. He is a graduate of Central Connecticut State in 2005 and earned a Masters of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2018. Mike is married to Kim, and they have three children: Mackenzie, Sydney, and Caleb. In his free time, Mike loves playing sports, lifting weights, and doing things outside.
Cindy Waters Children's Minister
Cindy joined Arlington Church in 1987. Since her joining the church she was actively involved in the children’s ministry. She was a Sunday School teacher, worked at VBS, and many other activities. In 2004 she came on staff as the Children’s Minister. She is married to Mark Waters and has 3 children. Aaron, Michelle and Daniel and lives in Oakboro, NC.
John Potts Worship Leader
Pastor John heads up our Worship and Groups ministries at Arlington. He and his wife Tori have four kids: Tessa, Thea, Andy, and Dean. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Luther Rice Seminary and loves music, the outdoors, and good coffee. His favorite Bible verse is Psalm 34:8- “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”
Connie Thomas Preschool Director
Cliff McAtee Mission Pastor
Pastor Cliff coordinates the missions and discipleship incentives at Arlington Baptist Church. Both he and his wife, Krista, grew up as missionary kids in Indonesia. After marrying, they returned to Indonesia and served as church planters with the International Mission Board for 13 years. They have three children—Amber, Mikayla, and Connor.
Ashley McGuire Financial Administrator
Ashley joined the Arlington staff as financial admin in 2017 and was blessed to train under the legendary Ms. Pat. A Matthews native and UNC-Chapel Hill grad, Ashley now lives in Mint Hill with her husband, Joe; her stepsons, David and John; and a houseful of pets. She’s a former proofreader and copy editor, and whenever possible, she enjoys curling up with a cup of coffee and a good book.